Development of a fish-like swimming robot with snap-through buckling mechanism: usac-I and swimming experiment of it

Abstract

We aim to develop an underwater swimming robot which can move quickly like fish locomotion. In the previous research, we develop a ship-type swimming robot and verify its ability to swim through some experiments. In this paper, we develop an underwater swimming robot with snap-through buckling mechanism, what we call usac-I (Underwater Swimming robot Actuated by Catapult) based on the robot ship and examine how frequencies of the fin oscillation effects on its swimming velocity. Furthermore, we conduct a swimming experiment to compare a soft fin with a hard one. As results of analyses, we can say that the velocity has the relation to the frequency of the fin oscillation and that the trajectories suggests a possibility to turn quickly.